Virgin Trains’ new ‘Arrive Awesome’ hits the buffers

Is it just me or is the Virgin brand looking a bit threadbare these days? Richard Branson’s resolutely earthbound ‘spaceship’ doesn’t help of course.

One of the Virgin enterprise that does make money, and lots of it, is the West Coast railway line from London to Manchester. In 2012 it lost the franchise but then got it back because the Government hadn’t carried out the tendering process properly. But hardly a big vote of confidence.

So Virgin Trains is trying to spruce up its image in an £8m campaign and has hired a veritable gaggle of new agencies to assist. This is their first effort: ‘Arrive Awesome.’ Which should tell you something.

I assume these posing plonkers are actors, not passengers who’ve just been charged north of £100 to travel 200 miles.

Virgin Trains CMO Danny Gonzales says: “Following recent events such as the bid, we’ve really challenged ourselves to get back to our roots and refocus not only our brand, but also our people, products and services entirely on the needs of the customers.

“We’re fully committed to understanding exactly what the customer needs and expects from us, and with the help of newly appointed agencies Krow, TMW, Manning Gottlieb OMD, Lowe Profero and Hope & Glory, we have repurposed our brand.”

‘Course you have Danny.

Update

My friend Robert Jenkins has sent me this – good rail advertising like wot it used to be.

Neither Robert nor I can recall who did it but we know it was famous. Help anyone?

About Stephen Foster

Stephen is a former editor of Marketing Week and London Evening Standard advertising columnist. He wrote City Republic for Brand Republic and is a partner in communications consultancy The Editorial Partnership.